[electriclott]

Thank you for that education on projectors Frightrisk. I am also a newbie to projectors, but I am looking to dip my toe in this year with maybe some singing pumpkins or a small window projection. I was looking at the Window FX kit that Home Depot sells for $89, but after reading your post I may rethink spending any money there. Although I wounder if that projector would be good enough for pumpkins in a low ambient light conditions. I think you said that those projectors are 27 lumens, or at least last years model was.

 

[floorlizard]

Thanks a ton for all of the help and information. Any chance this model would be any good for any of the things I am wanting to do?

 

[floorlizard]

Due to site limitations, I can't post links until I have three previous posts. The next one will have the link

 

[floorlizard]

https://www.groupon.com/deals/gs-10...N_CBP_CH1_NBR_x*cr119535_i*v2_g*0_g*1165673589_k*newshoppers_m*VideoElectronics

 

[frightrisk]

That is the same as this projector:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Pro...1904-1506434920765-01173-zj6qB6AIM&terminal_id=115d2902d8c74e2594401ba4301748fb

It is only 640x480, so VGA resolution and they list it as 100lumens. I would guess half that, but hey, at least they aren't claiming it is 3000 lumens Because there is a no return policy on the groupon one, I would either buy it from somewhere else for the same price or buy a better one. One interesting thing about this one is it is very tiny. Palm of your hand tiny. So it would hide well inside something for say, singing pumpkins. It probably would not work for projecting on a scrim from 10' away, but if you bought one with a return policy, you could give it a try.

 

[floorlizard]

I ended up ordering the DBPower T20 on Amazon. With Amazon's great return policy, I felt like it would be worth picking it up to see if it will work with one of the two or three decorations I am planning to do that won't call for higher resolution (Singing Pumpkins, etc). I may splurge a little ($400ish) for a nicer projector to use for the centerpiece of my display. I will let you know how things turn out when I receive the one I bought on Amazon. Are you familiar with it? Thoughts on it's viability?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZRUY6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[floorlizard]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoAITXBLKkM

Here is a test video with the dbPower T20 that I picked up from Amazon for $50ish

 

[floorlizard]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoAITXBLKkM

Here is a test video with the dbPower T20 that I picked up from Amazon for $50ish

 

[frightrisk]

I ended up ordering the DBPower T20 on Amazon. With Amazon's great return policy, I felt like it would be worth picking it up to see if it will work with one of the two or three decorations I am planning to do that won't call for higher resolution (Singing Pumpkins, etc). I may splurge a little ($400ish) for a nicer projector to use for the centerpiece of my display. I will let you know how things turn out when I receive the one I bought on Amazon. Are you familiar with it? Thoughts on it's viability?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LZRUY6Q/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I have seen it. It is one of the better ones in that price range. Is isn't as bright as the $180 ones I mentioned, but has a decent resolution. Can't wait to see your test!

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[gingerjay]

I have seen it. It is one of the better ones in that price range. Is isn't as bright as the $180 ones I mentioned, but has a decent resolution. Can't wait to see your test!

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Thanks for all your analysis frightrisk. I debated and debated on whether to pick up the DDK+ from AtmosFX for $299 since it comes with 12 Halloween scenes or picking up one of the $200 Amazon projectors. I don't like how Atmos has a no return policy on their projectors.

Ulitmately I found what I believe to be a great deal on a brand new Epson Powerlite W29 off craigslist for $250:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&O=&Q=&ap=y&c3api=1876%2C%7Bcreative%7D%2C%7Bkeyword%7D&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIvL2Hx_LN1gIVCYlpCh0PIQuEEAYYAiABEgJ3lvD_BwE&is=REG&sku=1122636&smp=y

I am going to purchase an AtmosFX download and give it a try tonight. I'll let y'all know.

 

[mindful]

Here is a test video with the dbPower T20 that I picked up from Amazon for $50ish

Thanks for uploading a clip. It looks decent, but the lighting is exceptionally dark and it is very difficult to tell how it compares with other projects.

I tried a DB power project 2 years ago. Advertised at 1000 lumen, at the time I thought it was a bit dim, but it wasn't until I got a name brand projector that I realized the 1000 lumen rating of the DB Power was maybe only 20% as bright at the 450 lumens of the LG! The Chinese projector lumen ratings are falsified to the point that they are useless.

I would love know how the DB power T20 compares with a name brand unit with more reliable lumen ratings. Do you have access to any other projectors for comparison?

I looked at the T20 this year, but recalling my previous experience with DB Power I decided to purchase an Aaxa unit. I am very satisfied that it is actually delivering 550 lumens to the screen.

 

[aviator24]

Been reading up on this thread. I have a $200 credit to use at walmart.com. Trying to decide, as many of you have stated above, they inflate the claimed specs online. I already have one of the $50 mini projectors that does a surprisingly good job on a window with a cheapo walmart shower curtain and some AtmosFX videos on a USB stick I scored 2 years ago.

I also have the AtmosFX 3DFX Form however and my current projector does a terrible job on that (so I have not been able to use it). Hoping to find a decent projector that will work better from walmart.com? Kind of limited by going there I know...

Thinking of this one?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/2017-On-...ns-HD-LED-Video-Projector-Home-Cinema-3D-Effect-1080P-HDMI-Multimedia/501904519
Worried it may not be any better than the one I have now?
Or ??? IDK?

 

[mindful]

The walmart unit looks to be similar to many of the dozens of clones listed on Amazon. That is, the 5000 lumens claim from an LED is misleading. The 1080p / 1920x1080dpi specs are technically correct, but still quite misleading since the native resolution of the unit is 800 * 480. So it will definitely be darker and not as clear as the manufacturer wants you to believe from the way they advertise it.

I guess the upside is that maybe you can try it to see if it works for you and take it back to the store for a refund if it isn't good enough. If you do get it, please tell us how it works.


Being a picky but frugal shopper, I've tried to balance the many projector parameters for myself, with great difficulty. This may not be helpful for buying from Walmart, but my general advice is:

- The brightness specs (lumens) of all the clones is inflated to the point of being useless
- The brightness specs and build quality of the name brand projectors (Epson, BenQ, ViewSonic, Optoma, Aaxa, etc.) are much more reliable
- The cheapest units are LCD, whereas DLP tend to give shaper images and are smaller, but usually a bit more
- For a clear image, you'll want a high *native* resolution. 800x600 is probably the minimum, and 1280x800 is better.
- I don't believe anyones 30,000 hour claims for an LED bulb, especially not anyone who is lying about their brightness specs
- If you really want bright and cheap(er), a conventional name brand (eg, Epson VS240) may be better than anything LED options. The bulb won't last as long (5000 hours) as an LED (25000+ hours) but the picture/price will much brighter while it is working which can still be quite a few years.

I think the projectors get noticeably better above $180, and for $300+ you can have the best display in the neighborhood. I decided to get a used/refurbished name brand unit instead of the one of the Chinese clone projectors. I'm quite happy with the picture.

 

[floorlizard]

Ok, Mr. Mindful... I have my semi-decent unit for my pumpkins. Now, for my main display, which will be projected onto a fabric stretched across an opening in an archway that is to look like the entrance to a cemetery, what would you suggest? It will be the centerpiece of my display, so I want it to look AMAZING! However, I don't want to spend more than $350ish. Also, the image will be projected from behind and within a 4 foot space. Any suggestions?

 

[mindful]

Ok, Mr. Mindful... I have my semi-decent unit for my pumpkins. Now, for my main display, which will be projected onto a fabric stretched across an opening in an archway that is to look like the entrance to a cemetery, what would you suggest? It will be the centerpiece of my display, so I want it to look AMAZING! However, I don't want to spend more than $350ish. Also, the image will be projected from behind and within a 4 foot space. Any suggestions?

My post from above still applies; I think you should be able to find a very suitable projector between $200 and $325. For outdoor viewing where ambient light may be an issue, you may want serious brightness, so something equivalent to an Epson VS240 (about $300 new with 3000+ lumens) will be very bright compared to anything with an LED bulb. The resolution is only medium quality at 800x600, but probably good enough depending on what you're displaying.

I have an Aaxa 500 lumen unit with 1280x800 resolution which projects a 4x6 foot image on a walmart shower curtain in my window. It ran me about $250 (refurbished) and is nice and bright in my window, though it is not usable until after sundown because the shower curtain reflects ambient light to the viewer. You'll probably use scrim for an outdoor graveyard display, which will introduce different optical dynamics depending on its properties.

Since you're rear projecting, you'll want the projector to be off-axis with the viewers, or else they'll be staring into the very bright "eye" of the projector. So for off axis projection, the "keystone" adjustment will be important. I'm not familiar with anything beyond Aaxa and LG units, but these are electronic adjustment which are quite flexible. The mechanical adjustments (what is probably available on your pumpkin projection unit) are usually not as good, allowing maybe 15 degrees or less.

If you don't mind spending a bit more, I'd buy a unit with 1280x800 resolution, since this unit will still look good (both very bright and very sharp) even a few years from now.

I'm not an authority on projectors by any means, just a person who has really wanted to like the inexpensive devices and has been very frustrated that they never work nearly as well as the manufacturers tell you that they will. The false lumen ratings are particularly infuriating because they appear to be completely arbitrary. Imagine if car dealers could just lie about the horsepower in their cars: 200HP, 800HP, 10,000HP! It makes this very important specification completely useless.

(gets back off soapbox and apologizes for ranting)


Good luck and let us know what you end up with. Please also post any insight (good or bad) about the unit from walmart. The more genuine info that is posted, the easier it is for everyone to understand what will work for their displays.

It would also be good to hear other people's views on projector pros and cons.

 

[frightrisk]

I would add that you consider distance, focus, size of image and offset from dead on center to the screen. All the under $200 projectors only have a vertical keystone adjustment. They do this by tilting a Fresnel (pron. Freh- NELL) lens that sits in between the LCD and the projection lens. This is a flat piece of plastic like those bookmark magnifiers. Concentric circles cut to refract the light. It bends the light to channel it into the projector lens. When you tilt it, it makes the image into a trapezoid. It gives you about 15 degrees of adjustment at the expense of sharpness in the plane of adjustment.

So in simple english, if you turn the projector on its side and move the projector to the side of the doorway to hid it and move the hotspot away from the eyes of the viewer, you will be able to correct the skew of the image to a maximum of 15 degrees as measured from the angle beteen the projector if it was pointed strait and the center of where you are actually pointing. That should work for you, in my opinion. But try to keep the projector on a tripod or other raised surface level with the center of the doorway since you can't correct for that keystoning.
Just FYI, many expensive projectors adjust the actual image and can correct a larger range and keystone in both the vertical and horizontal axis.

Next is throw distance and image size. Without a zoom lens, your only control of image size is moving the projector closer or farther to the door. So you need to make sure that sweet spot is available in your room or that you can move furniture

And lastly, you need to make sure the projector can focus at that distamce, which shouldn't be a problem in the range of a small window to a 120" screen (diagonally measured)

I have tested the Fixeover projector for around $185 and am very satisfied with it. I use 5 projectors in my display, 2 brand name used projectors, 2 cheap projectors and this one. This one does 720p native and downconverts 1080p. If the hallway is relatively dark and the light in the room behind sthe screen is dim but still reading light bright, it will be stunning.

Here is my opinion/recommendation:

Fixeover GP100 1280x800 resolution. Many clone units out there (Goodee, Tenker, CiBest, etc) around $190.

Epson VS240 800x600 native, but don't scoff at that, especially for a moving image. It is better than DVD quality, SVGA. 3 LCD chips! One for each color, red, greed and blue. 3000 true lumens. I haven't looked at the difference between that and the VS250 other than price, but this is the next step up for haunters.

Something interesting are the new DLP minis. They have a full Android OS, can download apps, have wifi and bluetooth... they are more like laptop projectors. Lots of possibilities with something like this such as streaming from youtube or a media server in your house. Look at the Wowoto H8 for $399. Same as Optoma Intelligo-S1which is a brand name (but a lot more). The iCodis CB300W is $5 less than the wowoto and also the same guts.


Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Jottle]

I would add that you consider distance, focus, size of image and offset from dead on center to the screen. All the under $200 projectors only have a vertical keystone adjustment. They do this by tilting a Fresnel (pron. Freh- NELL) lens that sits in between the LCD and the projection lens. This is a flat piece of plastic like those bookmark magnifiers. Concentric circles cut to refract the light. It bends the light to channel it into the projector lens. When you tilt it, it makes the image into a trapezoid. It gives you about 15 degrees of adjustment at the expense of sharpness in the plane of adjustment.

So in simple english, if you turn the projector on its side and move the projector to the side of the doorway to hid it and move the hotspot away from the eyes of the viewer, you will be able to correct the skew of the image to a maximum of 15 degrees as measured from the angle beteen the projector if it was pointed strait and the center of where you are actually pointing. That should work for you, in my opinion. But try to keep the projector on a tripod or other raised surface level with the center of the doorway since you can't correct for that keystoning.
Just FYI, many expensive projectors adjust the actual image and can correct a larger range and keystone in both the vertical and horizontal axis.

Next is throw distance and image size. Without a zoom lens, your only control of image size is moving the projector closer or farther to the door. So you need to make sure that sweet spot is available in your room or that you can move furniture

And lastly, you need to make sure the projector can focus at that distamce, which shouldn't be a problem in the range of a small window to a 120" screen (diagonally measured)

I have tested the Fixeover projector for around $185 and am very satisfied with it. I use 5 projectors in my display, 2 brand name used projectors, 2 cheap projectors and this one. This one does 720p native and downconverts 1080p. If the hallway is relatively dark and the light in the room behind sthe screen is dim but still reading light bright, it will be stunning.

Here is my opinion/recommendation:

Fixeover GP100 1280x800 resolution. Many clone units out there (Goodee, Tenker, CiBest, etc) around $190.

Epson VS240 800x600 native, but don't scoff at that, especially for a moving image. It is better than DVD quality, SVGA. 3 LCD chips! One for each color, red, greed and blue. 3000 true lumens. I haven't looked at the difference between that and the VS250 other than price, but this is the next step up for haunters.

Something interesting are the new DLP minis. They have a full Android OS, can download apps, have wifi and bluetooth... they are more like laptop projectors. Lots of possibilities with something like this such as streaming from youtube or a media server in your house. Look at the Wowoto H8 for $399. Same as Optoma Intelligo-S1which is a brand name (but a lot more). The iCodis CB300W is $5 less than the wowoto and also the same guts.


Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

Love your recs. I was looking at this one, which I assume would be worse than the gp100 you recommend. It just happened to be on sale today.

Checked out any other projectors recently that you recommend? I want to play videos via usb on a loop, and i"m assuming all the ones that have usb inputs will be able to let me loop files and not have to keep going back to the projector to reply all. That espon VS240 looked great and probably doesn't have inflated specs like the china knockoffs, but it turns out (reading reviews) that the epson doesn't play mp4 files from its usb input. So woudl you still recommend the gp100 clones as a best value for quality in the ~$200 range? You can find these for as low as $165 with no warranty on amazon these days.

I plan to project from inside onto a shower curtain during dusk and into the night. I tried last year's Home depot window projector, and of course it was garbage. I know a gp100 won't work at dusk either, but thinking it might be a good fit for after 7:30p or so when the sun has mostly gone down.

 

[Lisa Brown Shine]

Hey all! So I’d like to jump in here and ask a couple of questions. I’ve read all the post on this thread, and any others I can find about projectors, and I’m still confused. I want to be able to do the Halloween/Christmas stuff , but I also want to use a projector to watch movies or ball games etc. in the back yard. Will the projectors y’all are discussing do that too? Also, I was hoping to find one that I can just pop in a thumb drive or a sd card with mp4 files and use it that way, with no computer or DVD player attached. From my own research and the post above, it looks like the Epson won’t do that....the Epson was the one I was leaning toward. Can anyone point me toward a reasonably priced $200-400 projector that can do both digital decorating and be used for movies etc., that works with mp4s on sd card or thumb drives? I know that’s a lot to ask, but I don’t even know where to start. Thanks

 

[victor-eyd]

Most, if not all, projectors that are used for display haunting will also work for showing movies or even playing cable tv or streaming videos. Connectivity options is what you're looking for. The Epson is a "traditional" projector in the sense it needs a device to show data, ie computer, dvd player, etc. that is hooked to up to one the input ports in the back. The newer projectors nowaday also have a built-in video player. Many of the Chinese clones have this so all you need to do is have your movie or video in an acceptable format, like mkv or avi or mp4, have it saved on a SD card and insert to play.

Sorry if this starts to sound gibberish but the simple answer to the Epson is if your dvd player or cablw box has hdmi or even composite (yellow RCA) just plug it and enjoy. Using hdmi also transfers audio so the epson will play audio on it as well

 

[RyanH]

I have a line on what I think will be a good projector to do a full home projection. It is 340 Canadian for this model.....Benq MX850UST

This is my first time trying to do a whole house projection so if you have experience doing this and you don’t think this projector will work please let me know.

BenQ Short Throw MX850UST XGA Ultra Short Throw 2500 Lumen DLP Education Projector
by BenQ
Be the first to review this item
Available from these sellers.
The Smart Eco mode is designed to use only the exact amount of lamp power a projector needs to deliver the best contrast performance
<0.5W Standby Power Consumption
Hassle-Free Projector Maintenance - The upper lamp door is designed for IT managers to replace the projector lamp safely and quickly
Security Bar to Discourage Theft
LAN Control with Crestron and PJ-Link and 20W Sound with Microphone Input
Native XGA (1024x768) Resolution
2500 ANSI Lumens; 13000:1 Contrast Ratio
0.45 Ultra Short Throw Ratio
LAN Control; Smart Eco Mode
20W Speaker; SRS WOW HDTM; Mic Input